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Q: How to sort a custom column in ActiveAdmin? I'm trying to sort a custom column on the index page in ActiveAdmin that shows data provided by a helper method.
I have tried multiple sort solutions and none of them worked. I was thinking about trying to sort with custom scopes but I am looking for a solution in the Active Admin.
 index do
    selectable_column
    id_column
    column ("Driver") { |cd| link_to("#{cd.campaign_driver.full_name}", admin_driver_path(cd.campaign_driver.driver_id)) }
    column :started_at
    column :ended_at
    column ("Distance(km)") { |route| route_distance(route) }
    column ("Clean distance(km)") { |route| route_clean_distance(route) }
    column ("Distance diff(km)") { |route| route_distance_diff(route) }
    column ("Duration") { |route| route_duration(route) }
    column ("Average speed") { |route| route_avg_speed(route) }
    actions
  end

The 'Distance Diff' column should be sortable.

A: I think you need to refactor your method first, make it to scoped_collection.
controller do
  def scoped_collection
    Route.select("routes.*, (routes.ended_at-routes.ended_at) AS distance_diff_route")
  end
end

Then rewrite your index column to
column :distance_diff_route, sortable: :distance_diff_route

A: In short, sorting by virtual attribute is not possible by the ways you tried to use.
Here is why. When you request the index page to be sorted by an attribute, database query is created, asking DB to sort records by that column. In that query, filters (if provided) are applied and resulting records in your drivers table are sorted by the selected real attribute and only a subset (depending on your paging setup in config/initializers/active_admin.rb config.default_per_page = 30) is returned. Your helper methods are applied to this subset (and therefore if it worked, it would only sort there 30 or so records). The database is not aware of your virtual attribute and cannot sort all records accordingly.
There are at least two solutions to this:
1) Default scope
Easy solution is using Rails' own default_scope. It modifies the base query that is used as a base for model's query builder. You can offload the construction of the virtual fields there and then use it in Rails, see example below.
There are downsides: 1) it's going to get difficult if your virtual fields depend on other tables, 2) usage of default scope is often advised against - google "rails default scope bad" to catch up.
class Route < ApplicationRecord
  default_scope { select(Arel.star, 'md5(name) hashed_name') }
  ...
end

ActiveAdmin.register Route do
  index do
    column :hashed_name, sortable: true
  end
end

2) View based model
Proper, but also more complicated solution is to create a database view that will compute all the virtual fields you need and then build a Rails model based on that view. Here is a resource that can help you achieve that - https://danchak99.wordpress.com/enterprise-rails/chapter-11-view-backed-models/

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Louis Vuitton announces Alicia Vikander as the new star of Nicolas Ghesquière's "Series 3" campaign. This third campaign brings together photographers Juergen Teller and Bruce Weber for the label's Fall/Winter 2015-2016 collection.
The 26 year old Swedish actress joins Jennifer Connelly and Michelle Williams for the fall campaign which will globally debut in the August issue of fashion magazines. It will also be accompanied by two videos shot by the photographers.


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What Price Hollywood? (1932) Review, with Constance Bennett, Lowell Sherman, and Neil Hamilton
Constance Bennett Max Carey
Lowell Sherman Lonny Borden
Neil Hamilton
Released by RKO/Pathe | Directed by George Cukor
"You want me to call Nick over?"
"Sure. Tell him about that 17-year-old girl you put in pictures."
The tipsy Max bumps into a woman in a suit and asks who her tailor is.
"You don't give a WHAT?"
A drunk man strikes a match on a statue's posterior.
Divorce and suicide.
What Price Hollywood?: Cheap and Vulgar
"Mr. Carey, I'm in pictures!"
"Well, don't blame me."
It's not often you see a movie about how utterly mundane movie stardom is. What Price Hollywood? tantalizes the audience with a chance to look beyond their fan magazines and see how the ladder of success really works in Tinseltown. What we get instead are movie stars, directors and producers struggling to find something worthwhile, combating snobbery, and having great trouble simply pulling themselves together.
Constance Bennett leads the charge, oscillating in this film perfectly between her earlier tragic roles and her future as a great screwball comedienne. Here she's an ambitious waitress named Mary who spends her afternoons gaping at Clark Gable in the magazines and at night she waits tables at the Brown Derby. She's no wallflower waiting for a miracle, but actively seeking out stardom. She sees her opportunity when film director Max Carey (Lowell) stumbles in, a bit soused before a big film premiere. His date falls through, and Mary happily inserts herself in that place. The two develop an instant rapport and head to the premiere in a puttering old crank car that bellows smoke. Mary treats it like a star entrance, even adopting a mock English accent to keep the reporters on their toes.
She thinks she's arrived, but Max gives her an audition. She stinks on camera. One note about this scene; Max, who we've only seen tipsy or hungover, is utterly professional on set, clearly knowing exactly what he wants. He can immediately see that Mary is doing it wrong, and, through him, the audience sees it too. This is also one of the few scenes in the film where Max is sober. Stuff gets to him.
Mary, who knows she's in trouble, spends the entire night at her boarding house rehearsing and rehearsing her line (director George Cukor brilliantly showing this in shots of feet running up and down the stairs in montage) until she finally understands what Max wants. She shows up to the screening room to watch her triumph, only to be shooed away by the producer Julius Saxe (Gregory Ratoff). When she pops up on the screen, he instantly declares her a star; she has to shout from the projection booth to accept her accolades. Max, who'd been sitting behind Saxe in the screening room with his feet propped high, doesn't even take a second for any sort of triumph. He knew it was gonna happen. Might as well in Hollywood.
After a nifty montage full of stars and sparkles and marquee signs bowing to the new sensation, we flash forward to Mary at the height of her fame as America's Pal. Things take a turn for the interesting when she meets polo playing blue blood Lonnie (Hamilton). She's told not to bother with him ("He's strictly the breach of promise type."), but she decides to mess with him after he mentions being sick of blonde starlets. She resists his charm, which infuriates him so much that he kidnaps her in the middle of the night and force feeds her caviar. It must be love!
Saxe, who spends most of the movie being Mary's confidant, still manages his own moments of thoughtless brutality. Her wedding day, a culminating event at a crossroads of both her personal and professional life, goes awry when the crowd gathered outside of the church begins to claw at her gown for souvenirs. The couple is rushed back inside where Saxe crows, "We broke all the house records for this church!" But that sudden violation on the couple's personal violation won't be the last.
Max is more helpful at helping Mary navigate Hollywood, at least until he comes in the way of the happy couple as his drinking increases and his work dries up. Lonnie begins to resent his wife's sympathies and the fact that she has a career– an immensely popular one at that. He can't stand the game she plays with the press, stubbornly overlooking the silly rules that govern his own East Coast blue blood life. As Lonnie and Mary part, Max reappears after a long drinking spell. His alcoholism has gotten the best of him, and it's begun to empty him out. His career is gone, and he can barely take a moment of life seriously. Mary is his only friend, and there seems that there's only one thing left to him to do to help her.
Max can be read as a homosexual– certainly not beyond the realm of possibility that Cukor may have tweaked him that way– and much of the success of this version comes from the platonic relationship between Mary and Max. It's one of playful respect, where he sees her ambition and elevates it while she sees his flaws and tries to comfort him. From the outside, it looks foul, especially with Lonnie brooding about.
What Price Hollywood? would serve as the basic building blocks for two very famous technicolor musical films, both named A Star is Born. What the latter films do, however, is condense Max and Lonnie into one character. The future Norman Maine inherits Lonnie's temperament and romance plus Max's depression and wit. But by combining the characters, you simplify the story, changing drama into melodrama and removing complexity for broad, colorful strokes. It's not a flaw, but What Price feels more human; the Stars are engineered for tears.
But while Maine's own flaws within himself bring about the trouble in the Star films, here the villain is a little more broadly drawn. Max is more a victim of his own jaundiced view of the world than having any motive to hurt anyone; once he finds he's adding a net negative effect on the world, he does something about it. And while Lonnie is certainly a heel (magnified even moreso thanks to 1930s misogyny), it's clear (his) upbringing and (her) ambition are what bring him into conflict with Mary. That doesn't make him a villain, only thickheaded. And the movie certainly does a great job making you dislike Neil Hamilton (as all pre-Code films starring him must), he's not the bad guy.
No. I'm afraid, dear readers, I've seen the villains of What Price Hollywood?, and they are us. The makers of the film, David O. Selznick and George Cukor (who together would turn out the sublime Little Women a year after this), didn't turn the camera so much on Hollywood but on the audience themselves, both giving them a taste of the reality behind the motion pictures while dutifully chastising them for their twin needs of scandal and vulgarity. If the news media and vociferous public in this film didn't have tunnel vision and need the relationship between Max and Mary defined in romantic terms, they may not have driven that wedge between Mary and Lonnie. And if they didn't need scandal to satiate them, maybe Mary could have kept her career as her world falls apart around her.
Of course, this sort of of moralizing from film studios is laughable, the same as if bankers made a movie about being abused by poor old grandmas seeking extensions on loan payments. What softens the blow is how much of the film is dedicated to showcasing how much hard work goes into making films and surviving the cutthroat world of motion pictures. Take one sequence of Bennett performing a musical number on the set of the picture, shot in a typical approximation of a nightclub and even more typical approximation of how you'd see this filmed in 1932. Cukor deftly cuts away to the crew members working on the set during this number, from those in charge of lights to those doing sound and the crowd watching patiently. It helps perfectly puncture the illusion by using a very typical scene from movies of this era and breaking the audience's expectations and reinforcing the strange disconnect between what we see on screen and reality.
The film making expertise doesn't end there. The best scene in the movie for my money involves the main characters sitting poolside and arguing about the next movie proposal for Mary. The script is a bit of ridiculous dramatic fluff– in this picture she's going to have a baby after getting married (which is also a funny nod to What Price Hollywood to boot)– but the producer, director and star all circle each other as they try to sort out what it will be and why. Even if it ends with Max pulling poor Louise Beavers into a pool (her singing isn't that bad), it's this scene that feels the most realistic and natural in the whole affair.
While it's not the searing indictment of Hollywood you might expect, instead What Price Hollywood? offers you the chance for Hollywood to see things from their point of view. Sometimes dreams come true, but making that dream a reality is honest-to-goodness work. That work is a tight-rope act, where privacy and self interest can be seen as selfish and honor and friendship seen as scandalous. It may seem silly, and it may seem like fiction, but it must be true– I saw it in a movie.
This week's entry is brought to you by the Classic Movie Blog Association's Fall Blogathon, Hollywood on Hollywood. Be sure to check out the other entries here!
The movie begins with Bennett impersonating Greta Garbo. The two would eventually star together in Garbo's last film, Two-Faced Woman. Garbo would have many of Bennett's scenes cut because the actress was upstaging her.
"L.N." in the New York Times is not a fan of this, which may be an understatement:
The Mayfair Theatre this week is just a bit of Hollywood in tired old New York. The footprints of the mighty are set in temporary concrete just outside, and from the screen there surges forth a message. […] Parts of "What Price Hollywood" are very amusing, intentionally, and others are despite themselves. Sections of it are very sorrowful, in the bewildered manner of a lost scenario writer, and yet others are quite agreeable. There is some good acting in the picture—much more, indeed, than it deserves.
The Eclectic Screening Room is on a much different page, talking about the film's balancing act between being what it satirizes and poking fun at itself.
This effort is irresistible. Not only is it an amusing look at how Tinseltown chews up and spits out its great talents, but it is also a glorious representation of the Hollywood schmaltz that it also satirizes.
The Self-Styled Siren has a stirring appreciation for this one, going into its many in-jokes and appreciating the work put together by Cukor. This is my favorite passage:
But what a performance Sherman gives as Max. There's no explanation for why he drinks; his one comment when told he should give it up is "What, and be bored all the time?" He doesn't show contempt for his Hollywood trappings, but there's something in Max that stands apart and mocks. The script gives Sherman a lot of lines that could play as nasty; Sherman speaks them in the deadpan manner of a man who long ago gave up hoping anyone was going to get his jokes. Mary does gets his point, all the time, and she tosses the verbal ball right back at him. That is reason enough to believe that he would take her to heart. When Max is viewing rushes of Mary with the producer Julius Saxe (Gregory Ratoff, and you won't believe how young he looks), the director is so sure of his judgment that he lounges back in his seat until his face disappears, feet propped up in front of him. And Sherman gives you every nuanced reaction you could want with just the soles of his shoes.
Cinepassion talks about how the film influenced so many others:
At one point, Bennett is pushed through a crowd as frantic fans snatch pieces off her dress, and it's like a Nathanael West note inserted into a F. Scott Fitzgerald novella; at another, Cukor goes cannily yet unfussily meta by splintering the spectacle of the star singing in a café into shards of studio technique (the cranking of the camera, the maneuvering of the spotlight, the adjustments of the microphone). Wandering in and out of the main plot (and spiking it with welcome vinegar with each appearance) is Sherman's crumbling filmmaker, who leaves the world via a fabulous Slavko Vorkapich montage, an accelerating whirlpool of split-second pictures capped by a startling soupçon of slow-mo. The various versions of A Star Is Born are just the most immediate remakes, The Bad and the Beautiful, Inside Daisy Clover, Le Mépris and others flow from it.
Immortal Ephemera calls this 'the cream of the crop' for pre-Code films on Hollywood, and has plenty of extra background info:
"Suggest sensational comeback for Clara Bow in a Hollywood picture titled The Truth About Hollywood," David O. Selznick wired his bosses in New York in early March 1932. They weren't very keen on the idea, and apparently Bow wasn't either. Selznick got his way with the studio, then made plans for William A. Seiter to direct Helen Twelvetrees in his inside-Hollywood film. That changed fast. Twelvetrees was busy in State's Attorney and RKO soon discovered she was pregnant—she was shifted to a less demanding role in Is My Face Red?, directed by Seiter. Next, RKO announced that they'd seek out a young, unknown actress for the lead, but before the calendar turned to April Selznick had borrowed director George Cukor from Paramount and cast another of RKO's top properties, Constance Bennett, in the leading role. Joel McCrea was originally cast opposite Bennett, reuniting the pair from The Common Law and Born to Love (both 1931), but Neil Hamilton was ultimately cast as Lonny. Bennett and Hamilton would also work together in their next film, Two Against the World, while Bennett wound up paired twice more with McCrea soon after, in Rockabye (1932) and Bed of Roses (1933).
Here's a preview clip of the movie from Warner Archive:
This film was nominated for Best Story at the Fifth Academy Awards.
Posted in 1932, All Reviews, Comedy, Divorce, Drama, Homosexuality, Like, Romance, Scantily Clad Women, Suggestive Dialogue, SuicideTagged Brooks Benedict, Constance Bennett, George Cukor, Gregory Ratoff, Louise Beavers, Lowell Sherman, Neil Hamilton
Prev Headline Shooter (1933) Review, with William Gargan and Frances Dee
Next Attorney for the Defense (1932) Review, with Edmund Lowe, Evelyn Brent, and Constance Cummings
7 Replies to "What Price Hollywood? (1932) Review, with Constance Bennett, Lowell Sherman, and Neil Hamilton"
Dulcy Freeman says:
I wish you'd write more about Lowell Sherman, both as actor and director. The quote, from Self-styled Siren, "…a man who long ago gave up hoping anyone was going to get his jokes…" is so apt! One of my special favorites!
claudia mastro says:
i love this movie!! was a present from a friend of mine! i couldn t believe it was from 1932. seemed so old yet so new. it was refreshing wit hot air, you know wat i mean? the relationship between mary and the director was so modern, yet the realtionship with his husband was so old. a masterpiece
Patricia Nolan-Hall (@CaftanWoman) says:
Wonderful insights and a perfect summation of a movie that continually entertains. It was my introduction to Lowell Sherman, and could there be a better one?
Silver Screenings says:
I didn't realize there would be so many "Hollywood on Hollywood" movies that I haven't seen, and this is one of them. Thanks for the tip re: streaming on Amazon. I'm really looking forward to it.
Also, thanks for organizing this blogathon. I've learned a lot from all these terrific essays.
Marsha Collock says:
Great review, Danny. I happen to like this film a lot, mainly because of Lowell Sherman's grand performance and the steady, and chic presence of Constance Bennett. Not exactly "A Star is Born," but pretty good stuff. And many, many thanks for doing the heavy lifting on the blogathon!
Jocelyn says:
I'm glad you chose to write about this one–I'm not a fan of A STAR IS BORN–any version, and do like pre-codes, so I have to check it out. I may appreciate Constance Bennett more as well. Sounds like a good, 3-dimensional role for her.
BlondeAtTheFilm says:
Wonderful review! I always enjoy Constance Bennett and need to watch this movie. I especially liked your examination of the "villains" in the picture. Always interesting when Hollywood turns the lens on itself and its audience! Thanks for a great post and for your work on the blogathon!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The Show +Tell Show is an online archive of Show+Tell videos made by adults. The task at hand was to create a strong brand identity that would convey the purpose of the project and could be used online as well as on print. There was a clear understanding that the look and feel of the brand needed to convey a sense of humanity and history without seeming antiquated.
Creative Directing
The Show+Tell Show is an online archive of Show+Tell videos made by people from all over the world. Part of the challenge when conceptualizing the branding was that it had to convey the purpose of the project. The look was based on the idea that we are surrounded by a world of strange and fascinating objects and every one of them can be interesting and unique. We based the look around the slogan "Every Thing Has A Story", and designed a wallpaper where all the objects are featured in the background. The elements used were weathered and mundane but possessed a nostalgic and almost archival feel. By presenting this arrangement we were able to visually convey the idea of multitude and playfulness that wouldn't compete with the logo or the videos once they were layered on top. The logo was made with a stamp-like font reminiscent of an old printing press. Once again reinforcing that idea of the object as an element of curiosity which combined with the graphic background relayed the project's purpose of collecting stories.
Simple black text over white forms the logo and holds the project motto "Every Thing has a Story". Background with multitude of objects re-enforces the concept while adding a nostalgic and mysterious.
With the business cards we decided to give each person a different object next to their name in order to further personalize the cards.
This video was made for the kickstarter fundraising campaign. It helped solidify the visual identity of the project while explaining the details and at the same time successfully raised $5400!
The visual language of the video was very brand specific everything was made of silhouettes that moved about the screen explaining the different concepts.
One if the issues faces was the lengthiness of the name "The Show+Tell Show" especially when incorporating it into social media and having people reference it online. The short hand version of the projects name "S+TS" became an key visual element as well as helped generate a simple language that was familiar to the public participating.
When designing the website it was clear that navigation was crucial to creating the culture of the project. people needed to be able to interact with each other see a feed of videos, share and comment on the ones they liked as well as post content of their own. The site had to be transparent and easy to use yet capable of growing and evolving with it's public. It became clear that the options had to be available at first glance. this is where we developed the idea of containers and icons. Every section was fit inside a container and given an icon to represented so even when you were in other pages you could preview or access other sections by just clicking on the icons
Each video has a thumbnail box that it is fit into upon upload each box has information related to the video like how many comments, likes, the location it was posted from, the date and if the video was made by a featured contributor. We created a visual language that could fit in these boxes but was both easy to interpret and adaptable to the various sections of the site.
Once you entered deeper into the site there were many more features like guest contributors, projects by location and recommended viewing. This meant we had a chance to really push the boundaries with how much content could fit into one page. The boxes really proved to be crucial design element


Following your free exploratory appointment, when you choose to go ahead with treatment, we will decide together the best course of action for you. Most clients require 4-6 sessions and I do ask most clients to commit and pay for 4 sessions at the start of treatment.
All treatment must be booked and paid for in advance by BACS Transfer or at your first appointment by cash or cheque.
Except under exceptional circumstances cancellations with less than 24 hours notice will be charged in full. Fees are non-refundable.
*I do offer a limited number of discounted sessions in case of genuine hardship, so please ask if this applies to you.
Please contact me to discuss rates for group sessions, talks and workshops.


You may imagine that Paradise, Pennsylvania is precisely the same as any other city in America, but this city is the property of undead ghosts of yesteryear. Moonlight hour is living dead time in this town. People who have never stayed for the night in this town will inform you it's all myths, but chilling things undeniably happen here in Paradise during the dark hours.


text:
ED Hauled To Court Over Chinamasa Appointment
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been dragged to the Constitutional Court for behaviour that is inconsistent with provisions of the constitution after the appointment of Zanu-PF politburo member Patrick Chinamsa as Air Zimbabwe director and board chairperson, while the parastatal is under judicial management.
Mnangagwa and his lawyer Edwin Manikai are being sued together by Tichaona Mupasiri. In his 16 December court application, Mupasiri is seeking an order to declare that Mnangagwa's action constitutes conduct that is inconsistent with the constitution.
"The First Respondent's appointment of Chinamasa as Director and Chairman of Air Zimbabwe, a company whose control and management was divested from its directors and shareholders and vested in an Administrator appointed by the Minister of Justice pursuant to the operation of the Reconstruction of State-Indebted Insolvent Act 2005, constitutes conduct that is inconsistent with the Constitution as follows: "By engaging in a self-help scheme, interposing himself as a shareholder of Air Zimbabwe, the First Respondent failed to fulfil his obligations in terms of s90 ( I ) and s90(2)(c) by clothing himself with right to amend the Reconstruction Act that specifically vests the control and direction of the company under the Administrator."
"By knowingly and intentionally appointing Chinamasa to be a Chairman of Air Zimbabwe, a juristic entity in its own right, the First Respondent had no title to do and usurped the power and authority of shareholders of the company, to the extent that the then Companies Act could operate concurrently with the Reconstruction of State-indebted Insolvent Companies Act."
Mupasiri said Mnangagwa knowingly and intentionally offended the fundamental rights and freedoms of shareholders and creditors involved in the affairs of the company by appointing a representative of the company who was not accountable to shareholders but to him.
"By failing to take cognisance of the fact that the right to appoint directors falls within the scope of the exercise of fundamental rights, the First Respondent's conduct was inconsistent with the duties imposed upon him by s90(l) and s90(2)(c) of the Constitution rendering his conduct unconstitutional and invalid," the draft order reads.
"By allowing and actively participating in the appointment of Chinamasa, whose effect was to create an absurdity of a company having two centres of control, the First Respondent acted ultra vires s6 of the Reconstruction of State Indebted Insolvent Companies Act and in so doing failed to uphold, defend, obey and respect the Constitution as set out in s90( I ) and to uphold the rule of law as per s(90)(2)(c) of the Constitution."-newshawks
Yellow Friday Lands Five Chamisa Activists In Police Custody
Catholic Priest Commits Suicide At Church Premises


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Nigeria flag. Credit: railway fx/Shutterstock.
Jos, Nigeria, Apr 26, 2018 / 03:16 am ().- At least 19 people, including two priests, were killed on Tuesday when nomadic cattle farmers in central Nigeria opened fire at morning Mass in a Catholic parish.
Reports indicated that Fulani herdsmen attacked Saint Ignatius Church in Ayar-Mbalom, a town within Nigeria's Benue State, on April 24. According to officials, the herdsmen killed 17 worshipers and two priests: Father Joseph Gor and Father Felix Tyolaha.
After the attack on the church, the herdsmen proceeded to shoot residents in the area and set fire to around 50 homes, according to survivor Peter Iorver, whose stepmother had been a victim.
The attack took place near Nigeria's middle belt, where the Muslim north meets the southern Christian area.
While none of the attackers have been arrested so far, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari pledged to find those responsible for the shooting.
"This latest assault on innocent persons is particularly despicable. Violating a place of worship, killing priests and worshippers is not only vile, evil and satanic, it is clearly calculated to stoke up religious conflict and plunge our communities into endless bloodletting," he tweeted.
This latest assault on innocent persons is particularly despicable. Violating a place of worship, killing priests and worshippers is not only vile, evil and satanic, it is clearly calculated to stoke up religious conflict and plunge our communities into endless bloodletting.
U.S. Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), chair of the House Subcommittee on Africa, also decried the violence.
"Nigeria should explore justice system reforms that address grievances so that herdsman – the perpetrators of much of the recent violence – cease targeting farmers, exacerbating religious and ethnic tensions in the process," Smith continued, adding that the creation of a religious equity commission would also be timely.
Violence between Fulani herdsmen and farmers has increased in recent years, as climate issues have pushed herders further south.
By mid-January this year, more than 100 deaths had been attributed to the herdsmen.
The Catholic Bishop's Conference of Nigeria voiced grave concern about the violence in a January statement. They recognized the challenges faced by the herdsman, but expressed the need for better alternatives to open grazing.
"Government should rather encourage cattle owners to establish ranches in line with international best practice," the bishops said.


text:
Zdravo Marijo (Ave Maria) ist das zehnte Studioalbum der kroatischen Sängerin Severina. Das Album erschien 2008 bei Dallas Records.

Hintergrund
Komponist und Produzent war Goran Bregović. Alle Texte, außer der des Liedes "Haljinica lila boje", welches von Nikola Pejaković geschrieben wurde, wurden von Marina Tucaković und Ljiljana Jorgovanović geschrieben.

Das Album ist eine Mischung aus Pop und Folk, weshalb es auch von den kroatischen Medien, aufgrund des Vorwurfs, es herrschten starke Einflüsse des serbischen Turbo-Folks, skeptisch aufgenommen wurde.

Trotz dieser Kritik wurde das Album ein großer Erfolg (u. a. Gold für 10.000 verkaufte Platten in Slowenien), besonders die Lieder "Gas, gas", "Tridesete" und "Gade" wurden zu großen Hits in ganz Ex-Jugoslawien.

Titelliste
 Gas, gas
 Pucajte u tamburaše (Schießt auf die Tamburica-Spieler)
 Muškarcu samo treba kurva (Ein Mann braucht lediglich eine Hure)
 Gade (Du Ekel)
 Da nisi možda gej (Bist Du vielleicht schwul?)
 Ljute cigare (Scharfe Zigarren)
 Haljinica boje lila (Das lilafarbene Kleidchen)
 Šta to ona ima što ja nemam (Was hat sie, was ich nicht habe?)
 Tridesete (Die Dreißiger)
 Zdravo Marijo (Ave Maria)

Weblinks
 Website des Fanclubs

Album 2008
Album (Pop)
Album (Folk)

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Vernau Mier - alto saxophone & effects
Aydin Esen - piano & synths
Nadav Erlich - double-bass
Eric Valle - drums
A musical journey into deep space; full of discoveries and wonders. You don't know what you will encounter or what is your destination, and the elements are moving in unpredictable ways. And yet, everything comes together in a natural feel - so just enjoy the ride into the unknown.
The best pianist in the world? If you ask Chick Corea, it's Aydın Esen
- Cornucopia
Ayna Veer, un viaje musical al espacio exterior con Aydin Esen
- Canción a Quemarropa
Secret Wildflower - second single
high resolution cover
Trip to H - first single
Ayna Veer - release April 9, 2021
Private Preview
Not your traditional jazz ensemble, Ayna Veer brings together a new generation of musicians with an established figure in the world of jazz like Aydin Esen. Additionally, the combination with electronic elements creates an experience that stands in a fluid space between innovation and tradition.
When in August 2000, Jazztimes Magazine asks Chick Corea: "Who do you think is the best pianist in the world?" Corea answers: "Maybe most of you don't know him, but he is a Turkish guy: Aydin Esen."
Aydın Esen, a prodigious pianist from Turkey who has developed throughout his long career a unique Post-Bop sound working with giants of Jazz such as Gary Burton, Dave Liebman and Pat Metheny. With his contagious energy and his extravagant and unusual ideas the music is driven to unexpected places, shaping the sound of the band in surprising ways pushing everyone to take risks and see what will come out of them.
The newly formed constellation of youngsters includes Vernau Mier, the saxo alto from Barcelona, who plays with different international projects, performing in New York, Amsterdam, Istanbul and Havana, among others. Playing a combination of acoustic and processed sounds generated through the combination of saxophone and electronic elements Vernau uses these like an extended technique of the saxophone. Playing longer notes, creating space floating on the top of the density of the rest of the band, Vernau creates overarching melodies that bring the other elements together, building bridges on top of the chaos.
Eric Valle, the drummer, also from Barcelona, keeps the balance between keeping the traditional role of a drummer and bringing new ideas, having a dialogue with the others. Taking the inputs from the other members of the band, he sets the scene for them to shine. Eric creates an energetic and fluid base that nourishes a creative space for ideas to blossom. The last but not least member of the band is Nadav Erlich. His melodic approach with the double-basss converts harmonies into creative textures and melodies. Using rhythmical intervals to create tension and then release it, not following the traditional standard of harmony.
After multiple meetings, the collective decided to record their first album. The recording features compositions by Vernau Mier and Eric Valle, as well as a selection of free improvised musical moments that reflect each member's aesthetic and compromise with the music and the band. This is one of the elements that makes this album so special: the approach to free improvisation. Breaking down the idea of a soloist improvising alone and instead having the whole band building in the free improvisation as a collective, building layers on top of each other.
Flowing in each other's movements, this album witnesses the unpredictable dance of elements moving together but constantly changing shape, colour and distance between each other.


Sure, all scarecrows have their shirts stuffed with something. I mean, all people do, too, if you consider guts and skin and hair to be 'stuffing (and why wouldn't you?)' But few people, and even fewer inanimate objects, project the air of pomposity that this scarecrow does. It can look down its nose at you even though it doesn't have a nose.
You put the stuffed-shirt scarecrow in your Familiar-Gro™ Terrarium.
He sniffs derisively at your other familiars. "I should like some pants, please, especially if I am to be sharing this hovel with all these . . . creatures," he says.
You decide to name him Frederick Smith-Porridge XIV.
November 2011's item of the month from Mr. Store.
Its in-store description: A familiar that has no pants, and so must wear all of yours.
This page was last modified on 7 August 2014, at 20:31.


Is Land Ownership Still Viable?
I grew up mostly in post-war Europe, when the economy was growing and the outlook to the future was bright. Globalization was going to bring the world together, plastics made everyday objects available at lower costs, international expansion and growth were the keywords. I moved to the US partly riding on this wave of abundance. Then slowly the hidden costs started to reveal themselves, in the forms now all too familiar: economic disparity, environmental pollution, abuse of natural resources, new diseases, global warming, loss of identity. Before we knew it, we were the generation having to pay for the sins of our parents. No matter where I turned, the guilt was there: for the food I ate (environmental and health damages of red meats, dangerous chemicals in everyday food, saturated fats, etc), the clothes I wore (third-world worker slavery, cancer causing materials, environmental pollution, etc), the job I had (large corporation avoiding taxes and civic responsibilities, exporting production for cheap foreign labor, selling illegal items under disguised entities, a focus on selfishness and profit, etc). I found myself wondering what it meant to live an honest life. I dropped out of my path, went living abroad, witnessed environmental degradation everywhere I went. I started to realize that I was witnessing over and over a loss of identity, that people stopped caring for the world around them as they felt they no longer had a stake in it.
Diptych: each piece includes two images and white border (as shown). Archival pigment prints on Kozo Japanese paper, signed and numbered.
NEW! Now available in a limited edition of 5 artist books, bound, chine-colleeé.
Now available in a limited edition of 5 artist books, cloth-bound, chine-colleeé, signed.


text:
Associated Locations:
Associated Dates:
September 21, 1737 – Born
Christ-like Character Sketch
Character Sketch from Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, B.J. Lossing, the 1848 original.
FRANCIS HOPKINSON was born of English parents, at Philadelphia, in the year 1737 His mother was the daughter of the Bishop of Worcester, and, like her husband, was well educated, and moved in the polite circles of England. They maintained the same standing in Philadelphia, and the subject of this sketch had every advantage in early life which social position could give him. Francis was only fourteen years old when his father died, and then the whole care of a large family of children devolved upon his mother, whose income was not very ample. She imparted to Francis his primary education until he was fitted for the college of Philadelphia, wherein he was placed. On leaving that institution, he commenced the study of law, and was admitted to practice in 1765. He went to England the same year for the purpose of visiting his relatives and improving his mind. He returned in l768, and was soon after married to Miss Ann Borden, of Bordentown, New Jersey. Mr. Hopkinson was a poet and a writer and a knowledge of his superior talents having reached the ears of the British ministers, he was appointed to a lucrative office in the State of New Jersey, soon after his marriage. This he held until his republican principles were too manifest, by both word and deed, for the minions of British power here to mistake, and he was deprived of his office. In the meanwhile, he had been growing rapidly in the esteem of the people of New Jersey, and in 1776 he was elected by them a delegate to the General Congress. He supported there, by his vote, the Declaration of Independence, and joyfully placed his signature to it. Mr. Hopkinson held the office of Loan Commissioner for a number of years; and on the death of his friend and colleague in Congress, George Ross, he was appointed Judge of Admiralty for the State of Pennsylvania. He held that office until 1790, when President Washington, properly appreciating his abilities, appointed him District Judge of the same State, which office he filled with singu- lar fidelity. Mr. Hopkinson was one of those modest, quiet men, on whom the mantle of true genius so frequently falls. Although ardent in his patriotism and keenly alive to the events in the midst of which he was placed, yet he seldom engaged in debate; and his public life is not marked by those varied and striking features, so prominently displayed in the lives of many of his compatriots. For several years Judge Hopkinson was afflicted with gout in the head, which finally caused a fit of apoplexy that terminated his life in two hours after the attack, in May, l79l. He was in the fifty-third year of his age. He left a widow and five children. 1
Character Sketch from Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, Rev. Charles A. Goodrich, the 1829 original.
Francis Hopkinson was a native of Pennsylvania, and was born in the city of Philadelphia, in the year 1737. His father, Thomas Hopkinson, was an Englishman, who emigrated to America, but in what year is unknown to the writer. A short time previous to his emigration, he became respectably connected by marriage, with a niece of the bishop of Worcester. On his arrival in America, he took up his residence in the city of Philadelphia, where he honorably filled several offices of distinction, under the government of his native country. Mr. Hopkinson was distinguished for his scientific attainments. He was intimate with that distinguished philosopher, Benjamin Franklin, by whom he was held in high estimation. The intimacy which subsisted between these gentlemen, seems to have arisen from a similarity of taste, particularly on philosophical subjects. To Mr. Hopkinson is attributed the first experiment of attracting the electric fluid, by means of a pointed instrument, instead of a blunt one. This experiment he had the pleasure of first exhibiting to Dr. Franklin. Its practical importance consisted in preventing the severe explosion, which always takes place in the passage of the electric fluid, upon a blunted instrument. Upon the death of Mr. Hopkinson, which occurred while he was in the prime of life, the care of his interesting and numerous family devolved upon his widow. Fortunately, Mrs. Hopkinson was a lady of superior mental endowments, and well qualified to superintend the education of her children. At an early period, discovering indications of genius in her son, the subject of the present memoir, she resolved to make every sacrifice, and every effort in her power, to give him the advantages of a superior education. Her income was comparatively limited, but a mother can relinquish every enjoyment for her children. This Mrs. Hopkinson did with the greatest pleasure; and to the practice of self-denial for her son, she added, for his benefit, the most admirable precepts, and the most excellent example. Her efforts were crowned with singular success. She lived to see him graduate with reputation, from the college of Philadelphia, and become eminent in the profession of law. He possessed talents of a high order. His genius was quick and versatile. He penetrated the depths of science with case, and with grave and important truths stored his capacious mind. But he by no means neglected the lighter accomplishments. In music and poetry he excelled, and had some knowledge of painting. Few men were more distinguished for their humor and satire. In the year 1766, Mr. Hopkinson embarked for England, for the purpose of visiting the land of his fathers. Such was the estimation in which he was held in his native city, that he received a public expression of respect and affection, front the board of trustees of the college of Philadelphia, which the provost of that institution was desired to communicate to him, and wish him, in the behalf of his Alma Mater, a safe and prosperous voyage. After a residence of more than two years in England, be returned to America, soon after which he became settled in life, having married a Miss Borden, of Bordentown, in the state of New-Jersey. His acknowledged talents soon drew the attention of the royal government, under which he received the appointment of collector of the customs, and executive counselor. These offices, however, he did not long enjoy, being obliged to sacrifice them in the cause of his country. He entered with strong feelings into the public measures which preceded the revolutionary contest, and having taken up his residence in New Jersey, his abilities and patriotism pointed him out as a proper person to represent her in congress. Accordingly, in the year 1776 he received this appointment, and in this capacity he voted for the declaration of independence, and subsequently affixed his signature to the engrossed copy of that memorable instrument. On the retirement of Mr. Ross, in 1779, the judge of the admiralty court of Pennsylvania, the president of that state nominated Mr. Hopkinson as his successor; an office to which he was unanimously appointed, and the duties of which, for ten years, until the organization of the federal government, he continued to discharge with honor to himself, and benefit to his country. Soon after the adoption of the federal constitution, General Washington, with the advice and consent of the senate, appointed Mr. Hopkinson to the office of Judge of the United States, for the district of Pennsylvania. This was, an important and dignified station, for which he was admirably fitted, and in which capacity he assisted in giving stability and dignity to the national government. During the period of his judicial career, be conscientiously avoided mingling in party, or occasional politics. He employed his powers, however, when occasion required, in promoting the public good. He contributed in no small degree in rousing the feelings of the people, during the war of the revolution. The chief means by which he accomplished this, was the employment of his powers of satire, which he possessed in an uncommon degree. His occasional productions were quite numerous, and were well adapted to the state of the country at that time. They rendered the author justly popular at that day, and will continue to interest and amuse, while the memory of these times shall remain. Mr. Hopkinson published several poetical pieces. His chief merit as a poet consisted in an easy versification. His poetical productions were chiefly designed to amuse. This object they effected. They attracted no small attention, throughout the country; but none was more popular than the humorous and well known ballad, called "The Battle of the Kegs." The life of Mr. Hopkinson was suddenly terminated, while in the midst of his usefulness, on the eighth of May, 1791, in the fifty-third year of his age. He died of an apoplectic fit, which, in two hours after the attack, put a period to his mortal existence. In stature, Mr. Hopkinson was below the common size. His countenance was extremely animated, though his features were small. In speech he was fluent, and in his motions he was unusually quick. Few men were kinder in their dispositions, or more benevolent in their lives. He was distinguished for his powers of taste, and for his love and devotion to science. He possessed a library, which contained the most distinguished literary productions of the times; and in his library room was to be found a collection of scientific apparatus, with which he amused himself in his leisure hours, and added greatly to his stock of knowledge, The following anecdote furnishes evidence of the estimation in which he was held, as a philosopher, and a man of letters. Sometime during the revolutionary war, Bordentown, the place where Mr. Hopkinson and family resided, was suddenly invaded by a party of Hessians. The family had hardly time, to escape before the invaders began the plunder of the house. After the evacuation of Philadelphia, by the British, a volume, which had been taken from the library of Mr. Hopkinson, at the above period, fell into his hands. On a blank leaf, the officer, who took the book, had written in German an acknowledgment of the theft, declaring that although be believed Mr. Hopkinson to be an obstinate rebel, the books, and philosophical apparatus of his library were sufficient evidence, that he was a learned man. Mr. Hopkinson, at his decease, left a widow and five children. The eldest of these, Joseph Hopkinson, who still lives, strongly resembles his father, in the endowments of his mind, and the brilliancy of his genius. He occupies an enviable rank among the advocates of the American bar.2
Lives of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence, Rev. Charles A. Goodrich, Francis Hopkinson Lives of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence, B.J. Lossing
Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, B.J. Lossing, 1848 original
Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, Rev. Charles A. Goodrich, 1829 original
Category: Articles (Wiki), People (Wiki), WikiBy wiki December 12, 2011
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Series: Cheltenham Minster (1), God and the Poor (1).
Deuteronomy 13:16-18 (Part of the Cheltenham Minster series).
Preached by Clare Dyson on October 14, 2018 (Sunday Morning).
Deuteronomy 15:1-11 (Part of the God and the Poor series).
Preached by Clare Dyson on May 29, 2016 (Sunday Morning).


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Tag Archives: Conservatives
Labour's devastating summer of appalling council by-election results
Posted on August 9, 2021 by davidhencke
Sir Keir Starmer: Labour's bad record in council by-elections
Council by election results are not always a guide to a party's performance in a general election because local issues can determine how people vote. But they are a guide to how the most politically active think since the people who vote are likely to be those most interested their local community. They are also a guide to how each political party can get their vote out and are real results – not an opinion poll.
Whatever way you put it this summer- with a couple of exceptions- has been a disaster for Sir Keir's Starmer's new model Labour Party. As well as the high profile Parliamentary loss of Hartlepool to the Tories, only just holding on to Batley and Spen and the collapse of the Labour vote to the Lib Dems in Chesham and Amersham it is the local council by-election results that have been particularly bad.
Since this is against the background of a pretty incompetent Tory government facing allegations of corruption and mucking up people's summer holiday arrangements by constantly changing the rules and causing confusion about what, if any, rules to follow to keep safe from Covid 19, it is no mean achievement for Labour to lose more electoral support.
The by-election results also show that underneath the serenity of a successful and well organised NHS vaccination programme the political scene is pretty volatile. Council seats that should have naturally stayed under the same party's control are falling to other parties with enormous changes in vote share. The trouble is that in England and Scotland Labour is not the beneficiary. The exception is Wales. In the one Welsh by-election in the Rhondda, Labour did do well with the Tory share falling significantly.
The pattern that is emerging for Labour- from both the Midlands and the North- is that the Tories are consolidating the gains they made in 2019 and wooing the working class vote in once safe Labour areas. If this continues Labour under Starmer might lose more Parliamentary seats in a snap election in 2023 than Corbyn lost in 2019 and the Conservative Home dream list of scores of fresh Tory gains in Yorkshire , the North East, and the East and West Midlands become reality. In Yorkshire alone this means 11 seats could go.
Tories consolidating 2019 election gains
Examples of consolidation include Tory by-election wins from Labour in Grimsby, Bassetlaw and Sandwell and North East Lincolnshire. In Sandwell the Tory share of the vote was up 20 pc, the Labour share down 13.7 per cent. In Bassetlaw, the East Retford South seat saw the Labour share down 47 per cent and the Tory share up 25 per cent with the intervention of an Independent.
Even more concerning for Labour should be by-election results in Leicester, Harlow and Basildon. In Leicester Tories gained their first seat on the council with an 18 per cent rise in vote share while Labour slumped nearly 16 per cent. With the full council up for election next year, the Tories are hoping for large scale gains and possibly one of the city's Parliamentary seats soon.
In Harlow and Basildon Tories took council seats in Labour areas like Pitsea in Basildon and Mark Hall in Harlow. The Labour vote share was down 16 pc in Basildon and Tories up nearly 15pc. In Basildon the Tory share was up 24 per cent enough to take the seat from Labour who kept a 41 per cent vote share. These new towns used to have Labour councils and Labour MPs like Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire. In Hemel there are now no Labour councillors.
Greens having remarkable results
The Tories are on the defensive in rural England and the South and West of England. But the main beneficiaries are the Liberal Democrats and the Greens. The Greens had a remarkable result in Somerset going from nowhere to 64.9 per cent vote share when the Liberal Democrats did not contest the seat. They held on to a seat in Staines just outside London, and gained seats in Aldeburgh in Suffolk and Mid Sussex from the Tories. In Aldeburgh they just pipped the Tories with a 26 per cent rise in vote share and in Balcombe, Mid Sussex they won a little more convincingly with a 13 per cent rise.
Lib Dems winning "safe" Tory council seats
The Liberal Democrats also did well winning seats from the Tories in Knaresborough, King's Lynn, all with big swings in their vote share ( 28pc in King's Lynn and 20 per cent in Knaresborough). In some seats the Labour vote switched to the Lib Dems, in other cases it remained steady but the Lib Dems leapfrogged Labour. The Lib Dems also took a seat from the Tories in Cobham in Dominic Raab's Esher constituency with a 18.4 per cent rise in vote share. Labour did benefit on East Devon council when the voters switched to Labour when the Lib Dems did not stand winning a seat at Honiton.
In Scotland Labour lost a council seat to the SNP on West Lothian council, Vote share was down by nine per cent.
What does this all mean? Difficult to gauge from a clutch of by-election results, but it does suggest the electorate is particularly volatile and not necessarily enamoured with the Tories in rural areas. But it shows Labour has a long way to go.
The worst scenario would be if the Labour Party continued to haemorrhage votes to the Tories in the provincial cities and to the Greens and Liberal Democrats elsewhere. In the end the internal disputes could lead to the Socialist members permanently switching to the Greens and the moderate members switching to the Liberal Democrats. It would mean the end of Labour as a mainstream party. It hasn't come to that yet, but could be unless Labour comes forward with a much more aggressive and thought provoking agenda.
Posted in politics, town hall, Uncategorized | Tagged Conservatives, council elections, Greens, labour party, Liberal Democrats, sir keir starmer 11
Book review: Home Truths and the disaster facing the Tory Party if it can't help Generation Rent
Posted on May 23, 2021 by davidhencke
Liam Halligan Pic credit: Twitter
This is a humdinger of a book. Its author Liam Halligan – a cerebral Brexiteer rather than a flag waving, Rule Britannia supporter – exposes and then tries to solve – the biggest crisis facing the younger generation. They either can't afford to buy their own home or haven't a hope in hell if they are poor in getting social housing.
The huge hype in house and land prices – which is still going on despite the pandemic – is exposed in this book as part of deliberate policy by landowners and an oligopoly of huge house builders – to maximise profits, provide sub standard new homes and prevent any changes in planning laws which would release land for housing.
The government is committed to " build, build, build" hundreds of thousands of new homes for the young generation who increasingly are having wait until they are 40, if they are lucky, to own their own home. Like many political promises this is unlikely to materialise under present government policies and he explains in graphic detail why this will not work.
Instead by subsidising buyers under the Help to Buy scheme they are fueling house price rises and only helping the better off – who also get help from the Bank of Mum and Dad – to acquire a home.
Home Truths book
This well researched book shows that Attlee's government had the idea of how to both build a lot of council housing and incentivise builders to expand home ownership. But both aims have been destroyed by successive governments -including the error under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown – not to build any council houses.
The current Tory promise is undermined by the fact – exposed in the book – that the party is hamstrung by its donors – many of whom are committed to making more money by keeping house prices high and building land rationed. The big builders have also gobbled up many of the small builders – the very people who have incentives to build homes fast – to strengthen their monopoly.
The result was in 2017 that Jeremy Corbyn garnered votes from the young frustrated at having to eke out of their lives in either overpriced rent sharing properties or stay at home with mum and dad while they were in their 30s. Now without Jeremy Corbyn around to scare the Tories, the government might think they can still get away with it.
Ian Mulheirn Pic credit: Institute for Global Change
Labour need to step up to this problem. They are not financed by landowners. One thing they shouldn't do is take any notice of the Tony Blair Institute. The former PM's chief policy maker actually believes there is no housing shortage. Ian Mulheirn is using Blair's platform to peddle the idea and argue that we should not build hundreds of thousands of new homes. Presumably he is happy for the young to pay ever increasing rents or stay with their parents., The big builders and private landlords must love him.
What is good about this book is that the author also proposes solutions which are pretty radical and involve a major reform of planning legislation ,changes to the value of land and penalties for builders who just hang on to sites. And a major social housing programme as well. Well worth a read. If the Tories don't act they risk alienating a whole generation.
Electoral rolls falling and Millennials head for Spain
I have added a couple of my own blogs that illustrate the results that the author hasn't mentioned. One shows the declining electorate in central London because so many properties are going to overseas buyers and are used as AirBnB's. The others show that if we are not careful this permanently rising market could be used for property developers to take over the care home market. The third is a very recent article in the i paper showing that the millennials are voting with their feet and helping fuel a Spanish property boom. Talented tech savvy young Brits are finding you can rent a whole villa in Marbella for the price of a crummy flat share in London and they are basing themselves there. The country is starting to lose vital young talent.
https://bylinetimes.com/2019/12/05/zombie-neighbourhoods-londons-disappearing-voters/
https://davidhencke.com/2021/03/15/how-the-genteel-retiree-world-of-centenarians-was-shattered-by-the-ruthless-modern-model-of-social-care-capitalism/
https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/costa-del-covid-millennials-swap-uk-drizzle-work-remotely-spain-gain-post-brexit-rights-1003386
Posted in business, housing, politics, Uncategorized | Tagged Conservatives, generation rent, Home Truths, liam Halligan, property developers 1
Election 2019: What is the best offer for 3.8 million pensionless 50s born Women voting on Thursday ?
Posted on December 10, 2019 by davidhencke
BackTo60 outside the Royal Courts o Justice demanding compensation
Thursday's election offers a defining moment for some 3.8 million women who have had to wait for up to six years for their pension.
None of the parties are offering full restitution for the women – which could still be won in the courts if the Court of Appeal gives permission to appeal the High Court's dismissal of the judicial review bought by the BackTo60 campaign.
There is however a very big difference in what is (or not) on offer because we have an unexpected general election this week.
The most comprehensive and only detailed offer comes from the Labour Party.
The offer is not full restitution but for those born between April 1950 and April 1956 it promises substantial compensation. It is less generous after this tailing off altogether by April 1960.
The offer starts at £400 for those who lost the least and rises to £31,379 for those born around April 1955. It is a universal payment but is taxable.
John McDonnell, the shadow Chancellor, has promised both further negotiation with all the groups involved and early implementation. He has set February 5 next year – the date of both Labour's or the Conservative's Budget – for the full announcement. He also announced recently that repayments could either be at the rate of £100 a week over five years or an annual lump sum.
At the moment this is the only firm offer in town and he has been roundly criticised by the other two main parties for the cost of ther compensation which amounts to £58 billion over five years. Some Labour candidates want to go further and pay full compensation – notably candidates standing in Hemel Hempstead and Ian Duncan Smith's seat in Chingford.
The Conservatives are offering nothing after Boris Johnson at first suggested he would look at it and then said it was too complicated to compensate people and he did not have the money to do so. All Conservative candidates have been told by the party not to pledge any money to help them.
The Liberal Democrats have also been critical with Jo Swinson, their leader at one stage denouncing Labour's offer as offering " something for nothing " to 3.8 million 50s born women.
They do back a reference to the Parliamentary Ombudsman who is going to look at six test cases to see if compensation is justified. This will take time though and will certainly not be delivered in time scale envisaged by Labour. Any offer depends on whether the Parliamentary Ombudsman does think there has been maladministration.
The Welsh Nationalists-Plaid Cymru – say there is a moral case to back the women.
Adam Price, their leader said:"There is a moral debt that is owed to these women … scrap Trident – that will save you £205bn … HS2 – there is a £100bn there – I've saved you £300bn – there's money to spare for the WASPI women."
Intriguingly the possibility of abolishing Trident would come if a minority Labour government joined forces with the Scottish and Welsh Nationalists – who both have a commitment to abolish Trident while Labour at the moment do not.
The Scottish Nationalist Party have always had warm words for the 50s born women and do want them properly compensated. But they have failed, unlike Labour, to say exactly what they would do.
UKIP have not mentioned the plight of the 50s women at all.
In Northern Ireland the Democratic Unionist Party have a strong commitment towards 50s born women – they are the only party to support a special temporary measure offering full compensation. But they only have a tiny representation in Parliament – and have fallen out big time with the Conservatives over Johnson's Brexit deal. Should Labour form a minority government, they could like the Nationalists, put pressure on Labour to improve their offer.
The Green Party have avoided a direct commitment to compensation but instead offered a basic pension of £178 a week and a supplement for lone pensioners.
It is your choice who you vote for – but if getting compensation is your main priority this election you should look very carefully at what is on offer and weigh up which party could deliver. It is a once in a lifetime chance to influence events.
Posted in pensions, politics, Uncategorized | Tagged 50swomen, Conservatives, DUP, Greens, labour, Liberal Democrats, manifestos, Plaid Cymru, SNP 102
Tory election strategy: Don't pledge anything to 3.8 million 50s born women who lost their pensions
Posted on November 6, 2019 by davidhencke
Pic credit: Sky News
A leaked document in today's Guardian revealed what Conservative Central Office has said to all its Parliamentary candidates on how to avoid giving pledges to people during the election campaign.
It covers a wide variety of issues including Brexit, the NHS, trade deals, Voter ID, private schools, rivers, climate change and shooting. But a special section has been devoted to the Waspi campaign showing that MPs are acutely aware of the demands of 3.8 million who are waiting up to six years for a pension.
The section reproduced below includes a template letter to be sent to anybody inquiring what the Conservative candidate's views are on paying women. So you needn't bother writing as this will be the reply. It is more about future pensions – claiming that by 2030 pensioners will be £550 a year better off under the Conservatives. It also contains a 20 year old attack line on Labour reminding people that Gordon Brown once raised pensions by only 75p a week in 2000.
The Tory advice to all candidates: Don't sign any pledge to any WASPI or BackTo60 group
Rather extraordinarily there is one pledge all candidates can sign – that is supporting any rural sport especially shooting. Here candidates are free to support any pledges. This is almost Trumpian in its advice – put guns before pensioners.
Posted in pensions, politics, Uncategorized, welfare | Tagged 50swomen, Conservatives, general election, pledges 73
The surreal 2019 local election results
Conservatives lose, Labour disappoint, Lib Dems revive and Greens grow
CROSS POSTED ON BYLINE.COM
The 2019 local elections were one of the most surreal in recent times. For a start two of the newest party groups, Nigel Farage's Brexit Party and the breakaway group, ChangeUK, were too late to field any candidates. So they didn't reflect the range of political alternatives on offer.
The voting results Pic credit: BBC
They took place against a background of massive disillusion with politicians and country bitterly divided between Remain and Brexit.
The comparison with 2015 – the last time the seats were fought- was not equally valid as the 2015 elections were on the same day as a general election when more people turn out to vote.
England scoreboard
CHANGE +/-
Conservative 3564 -1330
Labour 2021 -84
Liberal Democrat 1352 +705
Green 265 +194
UKIP 31 -145
Others 1177 +660
So it was not surprising that the two major parties suffered and there was a rise in the number of Independents elected reversing a trend for decades.
However contrary to some of the reporting disillusionment did not fall equally on the Tories and Labour. The Tories lost out massively , Labour did not.
The Conservative party lost 1,330 seats and lost control of 45 councils. They now have control of 93 councils. Labour gained some councils but finished with an overall loss of six councils ending up controlling 60.
The Lib Dems managed net gains of 11 councils – leaving them in control of 18. The Greens did not win any council but are now a presence in both rural and urban areas.
When you get down to the detail you find Labour's performance reflects a trend that was going on last year. The party is finding it is losing ground in some traditional working class areas where they have dominated for decades but still gaining ground in the most unlikely of places, particularly in the South.
The must dramatic losses were in Sunderland ( 10 seats), Bolsover (14) and North East Derbyshire ( 17), Redcar and Cleveland ( 13) all traditional working class areas. They also were driven back in Derby where the Tories are now the largest party and lost five seats in South Tyneside. Labour lost to a landslide of Independents in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire and now only have two councillors left. Labour disappeared completely in Dacorum ( Hemel Hemsptead) where they have been declining for years. In Stoke on Trent where Labour launched its local election campaign it lost five seats and the Tories gained eight. They also lost control of Bolton, Darlington , Stockton, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool.
Now the council leader of Sunderland Graeme Miller blamed the loss of Labour seats on a " massive protest " over the party's attitude to Brexit by agreeing there could be a second referendum. This may have been partly true – as other big losses were in Leave areas – but in Sunderland voters seem to be saying " Anybody but Labour" by voting in UKIP, Liberal Democrat , Conservative and Green councillors.
Now if this was repeated all over the country it would have been a very bad night for Labour. But it wasn't. Labour gained seats to take control of Trafford, High Peak and Gravesham in Kent. They also remarkably took over Witney town council winning 15 of 17 seats on David Cameron's doorstep.
And again like last year they won seats in areas where Labour hasn't existed for years. This included one seat on South Norfolk council, one seat on Lyme Regis town council, 16 gains in Thanet – last time a UKIP stronghold, six in Folkestone and Hythe, where they hadn't been represented, and they doubled their councillors in Worthing from five to ten. They also won 3 seats on Lewes council in East Sussex where they have not been represented for a decade.More surprisingly they took two seats in Surrey on Waverley council – both in Godalming, bringing back into politics the former Labour MP for Broxtowe, Nick Palmer. The rout in Waverley which covers true blue Farnham and Haslemere saw a 49 seat Tory majority collapse with 30 Tory councillors losing their seats ( Lib Dems gained 13, Greens two, and Farnham Residents, an independent group ended up with 14 councillors.
The Liberal Democrats did well with landslide results in Chelmsford, North Norfolk, Bath and North East Somerset, Vale of the White Horse, Hinckley & Bosworth, Winchester, Cotswolds, North Devon, Mole Valley, North Devon, Somerset West & Taunton and Teignbridge. Without doubt at a local level they have shrugged off their appalling performances after the coalition government but it is not entirely clear that in every area it will mean a rejection of Brexit. The Greens also now have a presence on many councils by winning seats in both rural and urban areas and strengthening their position in Lewes, Brighton and Norwich.
The Conservative losses are so numerous that it is impossible to list all the 45 councils they no longer control. But there was a devastating trail across Kent and Surrey and serious losses in the West country. Among the biggest losses were Waverley (30), Guildford ( 22) Bath and North East Somerset ( 25) ,Chelmsford (31) , Swale (16) North Norfolk (19) and Kings Lynn (16).
What does all mean? It is too facile to see this as a Brexit v Remain result particularly as they have been a substantial rise in Independents. These are by no means all Tories in disguise. On one level it is the reverse of the 2017 general election which saw the two main parties dominate. Now they are in the back foot in some of their strongholds – whether it be the North East or parts of the Midlands for Labour or the South East, West country and parts of East Anglia for the Tories.
Labour is still advancing the South East and has strengthened its position in Manchester. The Lib Dems are back with a vengeance in former strongholds.What will happen next with the European elections and the Peterborough by-election may also not be a true guide.
We live in surreal times and these were surreal local elections.
Posted in politics, town hall, Uncategorized | Tagged Conservatives, Greens, labour, Liberal Democrats, local elections 7
Does the demise of UKIP offer a lifeline to embattled Tories?
Will the Tories replace UKIP? Pic credit: Matt Dent; A mad man with a blog
The performance of UKIP in the polls has been pretty disastrous for some time now. But if the party dies this weekend which other party is going to benefit from its demise.
After losing their only MP at the general election the party performed very badly at local level and is continuing to do so. And ironically Britain's departure from the European Union will destroy its biggest base which is in Brussels. So by 2019 when we leave it is possible that UKIP will have completely disappeared from the political scene. It is very much a case of don't get what you wish for.
But the destruction of UKIP at the moment appears to be more of a problem for Labour than the Tories. It is a considerable dilemma for Jeremy Corbyn on how he handles Brexit and suggests he, as well as Theresa May, is caught between a rock and a hard place over this issue.
Younger Labour Party voters – particularly in London and the South – are very strongly pro Remain – welcoming the diverse nature of the UK and enjoying the reality of visa free travel across most of Europe.
But Labour voters outside this group – in the North, Midlands, East Anglia and parts of Kent- are pro Brexit. And furthermore the former UKIP voters are obviously keen for Britain to leave.
So for Labour to get back these working class voters it has to be seen to be both supporting Brexit and sympathising with Remain at the same time. It also means the party – which has had success particularly at the last election – has highlighted domestic issues like the NHS, education, transport, housing and student loans rather than Brexit.
Labour's dilemma is shown up in a scattering of local council by-elections across the country this month. Of course one should not put too much score on local election results – because of low polls and because simply that they are local.
But one trend has emerged where UKIP had a previous strong showing.in local areas and either doesn't stand or puts up a candidate who is trashed by the electorate.
What appears to be happening is that both Labour and the Tories are gaining votes – but the Tories are getting the lion's share. This means that either Labour cannot win the seat or as in Bolton last night – they lose a seat to the Tories.
The results in Thanet in Kent – a former UKIP stronghold where they got control of the council – is a case in point. It has seen the Tory and Labour vote go up – but has allowed the Tories to retain their seats with a bigger majority. Roughly two in three former UKIP voters seem to have switched to the Tories compared with one in three supporting Labour.
In Bolton where on a nearly 30 per cent poll – the Tories took a seat off Labour – the result again showed both the Tories and Labour gaining votes – but the Tory share of the vote went up 16.7 per cent to take a seat in a safe Labour Parliamentary constituency. Again UKIP had polled very well in the ward in the past.
Similarly in Newport Pagnell, a council seat on Milton Keynes council where UKIP had got a big share of the vote last time – the Tory share jumped over 15 per cent – while Labour jumped just under 12 per cent. UKIP got nearly a quarter of the votes last time but didn't stand.
These actual votes may explain the closeness in the polls between Labour and the Tories – the Tory vote is simply being buoyed up by former Kippers. It may also explain why William Hague, the former Tory leader, would like to see UKIP wound up as the best chance for the party to stay in power.
It is also quite clever of Boris Johnson to raise the issue that the NHS would get even more money after we leave the EU – it is aimed at those people keeping faith with Brexit believing the country will enter a Shangri La once we are out.
I personally don't believe a word of it – but to my mind it does suggest to me that Labour should not take the next election for granted. They have to continue to work on these voters by offering a much fairer society. But it also leaves them with a very delicate balancing act over Brexit.
Posted in politics, town hall, Uncategorized | Tagged brexit, by elections, Conservatives, jeremy corbyn, labour, UKIP 5
Have the Tories already sold our future green investments down the dump?
Safeguarding UK green interests?The five new trustees of the Green Purposes Company – James Curran,Trevor Hutchings, Tushita Ranchan,Robin (Lord) Teverson and Peter Young. Pic Credit: Green Purposes Company
The present government has two song sheets. One is that Britain must big up everything we do to become a " world leader " after Brexit. The second is that we must do everything we can to cut the deficit – whether it is fresh benefit cuts or selling off anything the government owns as fast as possible..
The two came into conflict recently with the sale of the Green Investment Bank – and the deficit cutters won. The story of the sale of the Green Investment Bank is told in a recent report by the National Audit Office. Unfortunately the detail did not lead to much coverage in mainstream media which is why I am writing about it now. I have written a news story for Tribune magazine.
The deal which has allowed the sale to go ahead to Australian private equity bankers Macquarie for £1.6 billion is at the lower end of the its worth and without waiting for returns from big wind farm projects which are still under construction with public money.The NAO said this could have netted another £63m. This is the same company, by the way, that owns Thames Water, responsible for some of the worst pollution in the River Thames and also locally on the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal (see an earlier blog).
The companies behind the sale did very well. The business department paid out a £1.1m success fee to Bank of America Merrill Lynch and a retainer of nearly £300,000 for completing the sale – part of a bill for £4.5m to sell the bank.
Macquarie picked up the bill for another £5m success fee paid to UBS by the Green Investment Bank itself to handle the sale.
The Department appointed Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) to act as its legal adviser for the sale. HSF's fee increased from £1 million to £2.36 million owing to the extended period required to complete the sale, the need for advice on restructuring GIB, the retained assets, the special share arrangements and judicial review which failed to challenge the sale.
Altogether Macquarie paid over £10m of the state bank's fees to get their hands on the state bank. But what did they get in return?
An article in the This is Money website gives us a clue. It shows the government removed the restriction that the Green Investment Bank should only concentrate on the UK so Macquarie could make money worldwide and ignore the UK if it wanted. Greg Clark, the business secretary, personally signed this concession.
Macquarie of course denies this pointing out that it had invested £38m in a West Yorkshire waste from energy from waste project and insisting it will be a big player in the UK and Europe.
But events since the take over suggest otherwise – and there is no guarantee either that it will continue to focus only on green energy. Greg Clark let the bank get away with a non binding public statement to finance green projects for the next three years and the setting up of a trust – the Green Purposes Company -which could shame the new owners if they fail to keep to their pledge.
The evidence of backsliding comes from the trustees. In theory they have powers to prevent changes to GIB's green purposes, but this does not extend to control of, or input to, investment decisions.
The five trustees are independently appointed and seem to be sound environmental figures. They include James Curran, former chief executive of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, and Lord Teverson, a former Liberal Democrat energy spokesman.But they are not paid to monitor such a big private equity company and a check on the website of the Green Purposes Company does not give much comfort either.
It reveals the first project is in Sweden – with a 300 million Euro investment in what will be Europe's largest onshore wind farm joint with the US listed company GE which is in financial trouble in the United States.
The second is in a £30m investment in solar power in India – admittedly with a UK solar park company, Lightsource, partly owned by BP. The company is concentrating on green power in the Middle East, Asia and Europe as part of its partnership with BP.
And the third investment will be a 136 million Euro energy from waste scheme in Dublin, jointly run by a New Jersey incineration company, Covanta.
So far the new bank has invested £38m in the UK and over £400m (partly with GE) abroad.
The NAO conclude in their report the future direction of GIB's investment focus and its relationship with the trustees remain untested. From the first four projects it seems quite clear that the UK will be on the sidelines. The 436 million Euro investments will be great news for Donald Trump's " America First " policy but not such great news for Theresa May.
Posted in business, environment, privatisation, Whitehall | Tagged Conservatives, green energy, green investment bank, green purposes company, macquarie 4
How Jeremy Corbyn (with a little help from Tim Farron) brought political activism back from the living dead
Posted on September 22, 2017 by davidhencke
Jeremy Corbyn rally – a sign of a revitalised party membership. Pic Credit; Twitter
As the Labour conferences is just about to start one of the greatest achievements of Jeremy Corbyn has been to revitalise political activism in Britain.
According to a report in the House of Commons library active membership of political parties fell to its lowest ever recorded proportion of the population – at 0.8 per cent – in 2013. It was virtually teetering on near extinction. It had also veered to the right – with UKIP going from now nowhere to 74,000 members.Labour in 2013 was also at a low before Corbyn won the leadership of 190,000 members.
So dire was the membership of political parties that political commentator Andrew Rawnsley in a comment is free article in The Guardian could joke that as many people had declared their religion in the census as a Jedi knight than belonged to each of the main two political parties.
After Corbyn's leadership victory in the autumn of 2015 membership of the Labour Party had soared to 388,000. Under his leadership, despite a hostile press, it grew again to 544,000 by the end of last year. Since then it has risen to 552,000 in June. And on the eve of the party conference now stands at 569,500.
To do him credit the other person who revitalised an ailing party was Tim Farron. Fuelled by their Remain stance the Liberal Democrat party moved from 61,000 members in December 2015 to 78,000 by the end of last year and to 102,000 by May this year. though this is dwarfed by Labour.
Between the two of them they have increased membership of political parties to 1.7 per cent of the population – still small – but more than double the numbers in 2013.
The biggest losers are UKIP who have seem their active membership collapse in lone with their poor election performances. Membership of UKIP was around 74,000 in December 2015 but had fallen to 39,000 in July last year and fallen again to 34,000 by December. No new figures have been issued since.
Slightly surprising has been the demise of the Greens – though they seem to have started to turn this around.Their membership fell from 63,000 to 46,000 from 2015 to 2016 but the trend appears to have reversed itself – with an increase back to 55,500 in March this year.
Membership of the Scottish Nats has also stopped growing with it flatlining at around 118,000.
The real mystery is the Tories. They say their membership is 149,000. But this figure has never been updated since 2013 as no political party is obliged to publish its membership numbers in its annual report. Their shyness in producing any new membership figures since then – suggests that they may have suffered a decline in membership.
Certainly if they had any big increase in membership they would have immediately published details – to try and take the shine off Jeremy Corbyn's extraordinary ability to attract new members in droves.
It has recently come out that the average age of Tory members is 72 which suggests that while there have been enormous increases in Left and Centre parties – the Tories could well be in terminal decline and turning literally into the party of the living dead!
Posted in politics, Uncategorized | Tagged Conservatives, jeremy corbyn, labour party, Liberal Democrats, tim farron, UKIP 3
My billet-doux from Theresa: Push Brexit from the comfort of your own home and register your vote plan at Tory Central Office
Posted on June 6, 2017 by davidhencke
May's billet doux campaign to her supporters Pic credit:BBC
CROSS POSTED ON BYLINE>COM
One of the more amusing things about this election is that Conservative Central Office appear to have registered me as a Tory supporter, How this has happened I do not know but as a result nearly every day I receive a Dear David billet-doux from Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Amber Rudd and Patrick McLoughlin telling me what line to take against Jeremy Corbyn.
They were especially active when Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn were facing separate Paxman interviews – with five lines to take – emphasising Corbyn's support for the IRA .
But in the last week it is clear that the Tories have gone back to basics and even after the Manchester terrorist attack – are now trying to get a big majority on Theresa May's stance over Brexit.
As this letter shows:
Dear David,
I'm excited about the future.
If we make a success of Brexit, there are great opportunities ahead.
My plan for Brexit will return control to Britain – and help us shape a brighter, fairer future for our country.
But David, I need every Conservative supporter to get behind my plan to make Brexit work.
So please join our team speaking to voters around the country by signing up to make calls today.
As we approach the final week of this campaign, it's crucial that everybody remembers this fact: Britain is about to enter into the most important negotiations of my lifetime.
Brexit negotiations are set to begin just eleven days after polling day. And the European Union is already adopting an aggressive negotiating position.
That's why Britain needs a strong government and a strong Prime Minister capable of standing up to Brussels.
Your support is more important now than ever. Because every vote for me in this election will strengthen my hand in the negotiations that are about to start.
So, David, help me make my case to the country – and help me make a success of Brexit – by signing up to make calls today.
Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party
If you click on the link you will find three choices – join a phone bank, go to Conservative Central Office ( you get a special rousing address from Boris if you do) or make the calls under Tory guidance from your own home. Fascinating to know how many people have received calls in the last few days – and whether this appeal has been launched because the Tories have not had enough support from members to do the work despite overflowing with cash donations.
On polling day Theresa has asked me to have a plan on how I am going to vote – suggesting I might go with the family, friends and neighbours to stop Jeremy Corbyn Diane Abbott and John McDonnell going into government.
As she says here:
Today I'm asking you to do one crucial thing: make a plan to vote.
If the Conservatives lose just 6 seats next Thursday, we will lose our majority: and Jeremy Corbyn will be in charge of Brexit, Diane Abbott our national security and John McDonnell our economy.
There is so much at stake David – and I need your support.
Please make a plan to vote on our website today, so you know what time you'll be voting next Thursday, and who you'll be going to the polling station with.
And then forward this email on to every Conservative supporter you know, so they can make a plan to vote too.
Thank you for your support,
What this does show is that even on polling day – who goes out to vote will be absolutely crucial to the result – and the Tories are planning to monitor their supporters to make sure they have voted. Interesting times.
Posted in media, politics, Uncategorized | Tagged brexit, Conservatives, general election, jeremy corbyn, polling day, theresa may 6
Why the Tory plan to axe pensioners fuel benefits is as flawed as Labour's Ed Balls up
Tory Manifesto: An Ed Balls Up on fuel payments for pensioners
This is the extract from the Tory manifesto relating to plans to axe the £200 a year payment to all pensioners and the £300 a year payment to those over 75 . The plan is stolen from the Labour manifesto of 2015 and was originally proposed by Ed Balls to "save £100m ".
we will target help where it is needed most.So we will look at Winter Fuel Payments, the largest benefit paid to pensioners, in this context. The benefit is paid regardless of need, giving money to wealthier pensioners when working people on lower incomes do not get similar support.
So we will means test Winter Fuel Payments, focusing assistance on the least well-off pensioners, who are most at risk of fuel poverty.
Fine words but very difficult to implement. Why?
Four years ago I investigated how Labour could implement the same policy – and found it unfair and unworkable. This is what I said:
"As a punter and pensioner who pays higher rate tax because my freelance earnings top up my pension I expected to be one of the people targeted by Ed Balls. In fact it will have zilch effect, a load of old Balls if you like.
Let me explain why. The fuel allowance is currently paid to individual pensioners with a cap of £200 per household. So for a start I only receive £100 of fuel benefit. The other £100 goes to my wife, also a pensioner, who is a standard rate taxpayer. So his planned saving will be halved anyway in my case.
But it is actually worse than that. My wife became a pensioner before me and was entitled to the full household fuel allowance in her own right. So when I was on The Guardian, ( then on just over £80,000 a year) our household was receiving then a £200 fuel subsidy for a short time. What will happen under the Balls changes is that my wife will get back the full benefit of £200 – so we will still continue to receive exactly the same subsidy.
I suspect I am not alone. I know of many people around me in the shires, where in traditional families of that generation the main earner is the male who will pay high rates of tax. His spouse who brought up the children, and did part-time work instead, would be a standard rate taxpayer. These wealthy households will continue to get the subsidy.
Ed Balls in more serious mode
Now Ed Balls could get round this by imposing a household cap equivalent to the income level set by the higher rate of tax. But if he does this he will run into fresh problems."
I chased this up with the Inland Revenue.
They confirmed four years ago that they do not collate figures showing how many households have higher rate and standard rate taxpayers who are currently eligible for winter fuel payments. They do not need to collect the information as taxpayers are assessed individually. So they don't know the breakdown. The only figures they have are the number of higher rate taxpayers who are pensioners. I doubt anything has changed.
Theresa May:Leader of the Tory party. Pic credit:BBC
So how are the Tories going to do this. They could scrap the present system and go back to the old fashioned 1950s style tax system- where the man had to fill in the form for the household. But that would be deeply regressive, anti feminist and take no account of modern relationships where couples may not even be married or have a gay partnership.
They could limit payments only to those claiming pensioner credit – removing all other pensioners- but that would hit the JAMS – just about managing pensioners with a huge hole in their income and be deeply unpopular.
Or they could say every person has to fill in a means test form – which means even if it was done on line – have to employ more staff at a huge cost just when they want to axe more civil servants.
It ain't going to work and will be deeply unpopular and be full of anomolies. In other words Theresa May has just created another Balls-up.
Posted in politics, Uncategorized, welfare, Whitehall | Tagged Conservatives, ed balls, labour, rich pensioners, winter fuel allowance 5


Suzanne, her husband Tim and their standard poodle Jacques moved back to Ashland this past June. Suzanne is currently Interim Superintendent for the Ashland School District as the Board of Directors is seeking a new and permanent superintendent.
After spending time in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area, both of them longed for a small town like the ones in which they grew up -- a town that had a great K-12 educational system, a university component, an emphasis on the arts, and a safe place to raise children. After visiting Ashland in July 1981 for the Fourth of July Weekend, they returned to California where Tim sold his real estate business, they sold their home, packed up their belongings and moved to Ashland in time for the kids to start school and for Suzanne to start teaching at Lincoln and Walker. All four of their children graduated from AHS and attribute their success to the fine education they received in Ashland.
Suzanne taught music at Lincoln and Walker Elementary Schools as well as Ashland Middle School. Her administrative career began as an Assistant Principal at South Medford High School in 1991. In 1994 Suzanne and Tim moved to Portland where Suzanne was Principal at Glencoe High School in Hillsboro and later Assistant Superintendent in that District. She was Superintendent in Longview Washington from 2008-2014 when they retired to their home in Portland.
Suzanne comments about this move, "My career has always been fulfilling in so many way. Still I never thought of returning until I received a call that the Ashland School District was seeking an interim superintendent for the 2016-2017 school year. What a joy to be here -- to see former students who are now successful support staff, teachers and administrators, to spend time with children in our classrooms taught by the best teaching staff on the planet -- I could not ask for more.